Show me the stolen vehicle report. Lang hesitated. Dispatch called it in. Thompson pulled out his radio. Dispatch, any reports of a stolen black Mercedes in the Riverdale area today?
The response came back immediately. Negative, sergeant. No such report on file. Lang's face flushed. I mean, it matched the description of vehicles stolen in this area recently.
What description? Thompson asked, his voice dropping lower. Be specific. Lang couldn't answer because there was no description. There was only bias, only assumption, only the same pattern he had repeated for 14 years.
Thompson walked to the Mercedes and examined the registration documents lying on the driver's seat. Everything matched perfectly. Registered owner Danielle Cross, current tags, valid insurance. He ran the plates on his portable terminal. Clean, no warrants, no flags, nothing.
"Why is she in handcuffs?" Thompson asked quietly. "She was uncooperative." Lang said, but his voice had lost its earlier confidence. Thompson looked at Stevens.
"Officer Stevens, what did you observe?" Stevens swallowed hard knowing his answer would determine his own future. "Sergeant, I observed Officer Lang pull over a vehicle with no apparent violation. I heard him accuse the driver of theft without evidence. I saw him remove her from the vehicle when she asked for legal justification.
I did not smell any marijuana." Lang's head snapped towards Stevens, betrayal written across his face, but Stevens wouldn't meet his eyes. Thompson turned back to Danielle. "Ma'am, I apologize for this situation. Are you an attorney?"
"No." Danielle said simply. Thompson looked confused. "You're not?" "I'm not just an attorney." Before she could continue, Lang laughed bitterly.
"Oh, here we go. Let me guess, you're a judge? Maybe the governor?" He turned to Thompson with a smug expression. "See, Sarge?
She's lying. Probably lied about everything else, too." Thompson's jaw tightened. "Lang, shut your mouth." He looked back at Danielle.